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pageplus data usage accounting

PPS claims monthly 12 plan data cost $0.20 per MB after included 10MB. I put down $40 before travel and expect to get 200MB. After a few days, my cellphone log (by 3G watchdog app) shows data usage of 30MB after included 10MB, but my balanced dropped to $10. So I checked the call records, PPS does not show data usage as bytes, it shows minutes. So I called the PPS to ask how much data I used, first rep compared one big item ($8), and data usage is 8MB, so I was charged $1 per MB. She was not able to explain it and opened a case. A few hours later, I got an email the accounting is accurate! I called and asked why they call it accurate, seems they overcharge me by 4X. The rep asked her supervisor to talk to me, and the supervisor kept repeating the charge is accurate. Since I'm using smartphone and not officially supported by PPS, they don't have to explain the difference in my phone log and their accounting.

Not sure if just I was unlucky. I'm OK with small difference, but 5X difference is too much. Not sure if anyone knows better way to figure out data usage by PPS's accounting

If I'm sure I will use a lot of data, 55 plan works better. In my case, I only check email and some news update, 50MB seems to be OK(and it's confirmed by the phone's log), ~$10. But PPS somehow charged ~$40, it's not expected.

I would not accept the answer that they gave you. I would demand a written accounting of your data overage charges and if they refused file a complaint with the FCC for deceptive advertising and business practices.
That said I like Page Plus and think there must be something missing as I do not see a lot of other folks raising this issue. I am wondering if perhaps you started with a standard pin and then converted to a monthly and it has to do with your original funding being linked to your overage charges. Either way it would be wrong IMHO but might have something to do with it.

I do believe that Page Plus should do a better job of showing data usage other than there current practice of just calling it minutes on your call logs. How hard could it be to list at least daily data usage in Megabytes and show the charges related. i think it has do do with them originally not wanting to deal with data as they were primarily a cell & text service but the times have changed and now data is far more in demand and it is there profit center much like there mother ship Verizon has done with there share everything plans and expensive tiered data.

I think a BAL text request will send you a data balance. You could use that to verify your data usage by comparing two balance text messages to see how much data you consumed in the time period between the two texts. Maybe your data monitoring program is not tracking all of your data usage?

I did a BAL text and it does not show data usage after included usage.
I use the app 3G watchdog, it get mostly positive feedback from users, and I used the same app in my other phone with ATT matches well. And I doubt 4X mismatch is normal.
Yes, I switched from standard plan to 12 plan shortly before this issue, it may have confused them on the data rate. Their voice/text are quite accurate, so no complaint here. But after this, I don't feel comfortable with its data accounting, will switch to another provider.

I did a BAL text and it does not show data usage after included usage.

If the reply text doesn't show a data balance, then there is some problem with your account on the PPC side. If what you said was accurate, then you need to call PPC back and verify that you have a monthly plan correctly activated on your account.

Works great, but it is grossly inaccurate on my phone. It counts loopback usage. I'm on the 12 and I send balance messages.
Here is what is says:
Balance: $7.35
The 12
Exp: 2012-07-19
Minutes: 208
Text: 118
Data: 8.8MB
This is a free message.

If yours doesn't look like that, then something is wrong. Sounds like you are on the standard plan, which doesn't show MB, just minutes.

I've never tried personally, but I've read that PPC cellular data simply doesn't work when roaming.

PPC does have roaming. I noticed this in Yosemite National park. There was roam icon in phone occasionally(but not all the time),and I have to double dial. But in this time, the phone call was not roaming.

I've never tried personally, but I've read that PPC cellular data simply doesn't work when roaming.

PPC does have roaming. I noticed this in Yosemite National park. There was roam icon in phone occasionally(but not all the time),and I have to double dial. But in this time, the phone call was not roaming.